Gynaecology - public patient

Purpose

This page contains information for general practitioners on how to refer patients aged 16 years and over to Gynaecology services at Mater Hospital Brisbane.

Service

The Gynaecology Service offers a comprehensive individualised approach to patient care. The multidisciplinary team consists of medical specialists, case managers and clinical nurses with access to allied health services including physiotherapy, psychology, social work, occupational therapy and dietetics.

The Gynaecology service also offers specialised services for young adults aged 16 - 25 years at the Mater Young Adult Health Centre Brisbane. These clinics offers a number of clinical services and programs that have been developed with young people in mind.

Other specialised clinics include

Colposcopy

Persistent Pelvic Pain

Infertility

How to Refer

If referral for care is indicated please list all of the General Referral Information and reason for request, and essential information as indicated below.

To refer, please fill in the Mater Adult Referral Form, available to download and embed into most major Practice Management software applications.

Referrals can be sent by:

Secure messaging

Medical Objects: HM4101000R8

HealthLink EDI: materref

Fax

07 3163 8548

Emergency

If any of the following are present or suspected, phone 000 to arrange immediate transfer to the emergency department or seek emergency medical advice if in a remote region:

Women who are in follow-up for pLSIL / LSIL in cytology in the previous program (pre-renewal NCSP) should have a HPV test at their next scheduled follow-up appointment

If oncogenic HPV is not detected, the women can return to 5-yearly screening

A single cervical screening test may be considered for women between the ages of 20 and 24 years who experience their first sexual activity at a young age (e.g. before 14 years) who have not recieved the HPV vaccine before sexual activity commenced

Adolescent patients with abnormal HPV should follow the same pathway as adult patients. Patients <25 years old should also have screening for STI as they are a high-risk group.

Patients with positive non-16/18 but normal or LSIL on LBC would not need referral and only a repeat CST in 12 months

Recall women in 6-12 weeks if they have an unsatisfactory screening report

Specific efforts should be made to provide screening for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander women. They should be invited and encouraged to participate in the NCSP and have a 5-yearly HPV test, as recommended for all Australian women

Routine coloposcopic examination is NOT routinely required following treatment for CIN II/III. These patients would need a speculum inspection of the cervix and a co-test (i.e. HPV and LBC at 12 months post-treatment. They do not routinely need referral to a specialist

Categorisation

Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categorisation ensures safety and equity of access.

Where available for the routine removal or insertion of Mirena®/progesterone releasing IUD please consider referral to True – relationships and reproductive health (formerly known as Family Planning Queensland) or a Women’s Health speciality primary care provider who may be able to provide this service in their own clinic.

Categorisation

Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categorisation ensures safety and equity of access.

Psychological features need to be screened for, acknowledged, discussed and counselling considered, to improve quality of life in PCOS and to facilitate effective and sustainable lifestyle change consideration of depression and/or anxiety and appropriate management

Emphasis on healthy lifestyle, with targeted medical therapy where indicated

menopausal women with an incidental finding on pelvic ultrasound of a regular endometrial thickness of less than 11mm and having no episodes of postmenopausal bleeding would only need a repeat ultrasound and referral if developing vaginal bleeding

Categorisation

Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categorisation ensures safety and equity of access.

Primary, Secondary Amenorrhoea

TAS – TVS USS may not be appropriate in non-sexually active females, therefore important to seek early advice from state-wide paediatric and adolescent gynaecology (SPAG) services

Additional referral information (useful for processing the referral)

Renal USS

Other useful information for management (not an exhaustive list)

Primary amenorrhoea – is defined as the absence of menses at age 16 years in the presence of normal growth and secondary sexual characteristics and 14 in the absence of secondary sexual characteristics

Secondary amenorrhoea – absence of menses for more than six months after the onset of menses

In women where a vulval cancer is strongly suspected on examination, urgent referral should not await biopsy

Vulval cancers may present as unexplained lumps, bleeding from ulceration or pain.

Vulval cancer may also present with pruritus or pain. For a patient who presents with these symptoms and where cancer is not immediately suspected, it is reasonable to use a period of ‘treat, watch and wait’ as a method of management. However, this should include active follow-up until symptoms resolve or a diagnosis is confirmed. If symptoms persist, the referral may be urgent or non-urgent, depending on the symptoms and the degree of concern about cancer.

Categorisation

Available appointments are provided to our patients based on clinical priority. A process of categorisation ensures safety and equity of access.

If you would like to discuss a referral, including clinical criteria, or update the status of a current patient please contact our priority GP phone line on 07 3163 2200

Current Waiting Time for Appointments

We provide up to date data on how long patients are waiting for their first appointment by specialtly here.

Referral Guideline Development

These Mater Referral Guidelines align with standardised best practice tools for referral to publicly funded specialist outpatient services developed in Queensland through the Clinical Prioritisation Criteria project.